Accusations fly in licence battle

THE man behind plans for a £12 million gaming and entertainment venue in Guildford stepped up the heat this week – when he virtually accused borough council and police officials of conspiring against him.

But the serious allegation took a turn for the bizarre when council solicitors turned the tables – and accused businessman Michel Harper of conspiring to cause trouble for the local authorities.

Mr Harper, frustrated by repeated attempts to block his plans for a nine-storey casino/restaurant building in the heart of the town, was in court to fight for extended opening hours at nightspot Bar Zuka.

Guildford planners originally turned his request down, despite allowing a rival application from trendy Bar Med to pass through. But a clearly angry Mr Harper told magistrates in Guildford he was being treated “unfairly”, accusing police and council officials of a vendetta against him.

The court, which also hears licensing matters, heard police had filed no objection to the Bar Med application despite being almost identical to Mr Harper’s.

Top officers also made their feelings known when they objected to the casino plan pencilled in for Bridge Street.

Lawyer Graham Gover, speaking for Mr Harper in front of magistrates, said: “Every time there is any planning application my client is getting objections from the police, always supported by the borough council. When other Bridge Street premises apply for licences there is either no objection or they are supported. The fact is we are not being received reasonably or fairly.”

But the borough council denied in court there was a vendetta against Mr Harper’s applications. Solicitor James Rankin, for the council, said it was a “conspiracy theory” to say the council was in cahoots with the police against Mr Harper. And he argued that they had been treated as fairly as anyone else under Government planning laws.

Tim Allan, who chairs the council’s licensing committee, had to appear in court to back the case. He said: “There is a general problem around Bridge Street where large numbers of people meet to drink heavily. It is just not the sort of area where many people would want to go in the evening.”

Mr Allan conceded that the council may have been “too generous” in granting previous applications, but was broadly content with the current hours and conditions of licensed premises in Bridge Street.

However, despite opening a political can of worms, Mr Harper did at least leave court smiling – after magistrates decided in his favour and overturned the decision not to award Bar Zuka a late licence.

It will now stay open until 1am on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, midnight each Sunday and 1am on the night before bank holidays.

Magistrate David Scholes said the council licensing committee had “acted fairly” in refusing Mr Harper’s original application, but it had not come to the right decision. When later approached, Insp Paul Yearham said police had come to an agreement with town centre bars to stagger closing times to avoid trouble spilling onto the streets.

“It appears that profit and being competitive are being put before the larger picture we’re trying to draw to make the town centre safer.”